The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers and health care professionals about a counterfeit version of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Adderall 30 milligram tablets that is being purchased on the Internet. Adderall, which is approved to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and narcolepsy, is a prescription drug classified as a controlled substance – a class of drugs for which special controls are required for dispensing by pharmacists.

Issues surrounding contraception access have been a national focus. During this debate, adolescent and adult women may seek these products online. Due to safety concerns, including potential counterfeit forms, we wished to assess whether online “no prescription” contraceptives were available.

Washington, D.C. (May 24, 2012) – Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) president Marvin D. Shepherd, PhD, today released the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s rejection of an amendment by Senator John McCain to allow the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. McCain’s measure failed by a vote of 43-54: “PSM applauds those Senators who…

Leading Health Care, Business, Labor and Advocacy Groups Join Together to Oppose Drug Importation as Part of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA)

Importation Undermines Drug Safety Protocols, Could Lead to Influx of Dangerous Counterfeit Drugs

Washington, D.C. (May 21, 2012) – In a letter sent today to members of the U.S. Senate, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), a public health group comprised of more than 65 organizations committed to the safety of prescription drugs and protecting consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines, joined with leading patient, health care, business and advocacy groups in strongly opposing any amendments that would permit legal importation as part of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). If allowed to move forward, importation would unnecessarily expose patients to increased risk of dangerous and potentially life-threatening counterfeit medicines making their way into the United States.

Among the organizations included in the letter: the American Pharmacists Association, the Kidney Cancer Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor Management Association (PILMA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Despite the United States having the most secure drug supply chain in the world, recent incidents such as the discovery of fake Avastin prove we must remain ever vigilant,” said PSM Chairman Marvin D. Shepherd, PhD. “Contrary to claims made by importation advocates, there is no regulation for products trans-shipped through ‘safe’ countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom. Americans would be put at great risk and importation would erode the FDA’s ability to regulate prescription medicines, opening the door for more criminals to operate bogus online pharmacies that prey upon our citizens.”

Road paint, antifreeze, and heavy metals have all been found in counterfeit drugs…and more. Investigators have discovered all of these poisons, and many others, in medications purchased online from fake pharmacies. Medications that have sickened patients, and even killed some. Counterfeiters ply their trade anywhere they can find breaks in the closed, secure U.S.…

Real and Counterfeit Tamilfu Picture by the FDA via Flickr. No. Many of the counterfeit drugs in circulation today are so carefully made that even the experts cannot detect them by sight alone. They have to use special laboratory equipment to assess the chemical composition of the product in order to match it to…